PART 8

Travel always allows one to view life and experience situations from a different perspective. Perhaps due to cultural differences or trends, we are many times afforded a glimpse from a different angle.

Because, my work has allowed me to photograph women in many parts of the world, I have been able to observe a few very subtle differences and many, many similar beliefs.

One thing I learned, early on, is that most young women are never ever satisfied with their own physical characteristics. If I was shooting a woman of Latin decent, she would admire the milky white complexion of the Irish born model and vice versa. We are never satisfied, right? However, I did find as the models aged, many learned to embrace their differences and to discover their own personal value and uniqueness. I found that to be thrilling and certainly a game changer in my business!

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Working with confident women, who feel comfortable in their own skin, is a joy! Confident women get the "imperfection piece" and work with it, not against it. They enhance all of their positive aspects and downplay those they believe to be negative.

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I am curious. Is this new individual insight -- one that evolves as we age.? Or is this a new cultural attitude modern women are creating?

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In 2014, I photographed a Bridal Editorial that focused on the Mother-of-the-Bride rather then the Bride. The tag line and thrust of the layout was to show the presence of this vibrant, yet subtle sexuality displayed in the fashions and attitude of our very Modern Mother-of-the-Bride. That was my first real visual awareness that we no longer were our Mother's Mother-of the-Bride.